Strategy, Leadership, and Narratives: Data Viz for Policy Change

Jared E. Knowles

May 7, 2014

Outline

  • This talk will focus on 5 graphics as an illustration of the principals of policy focused data visualization
  • Each example is taken from real policy discussions with senior leadership in a state education agency
  • Together, these examples demonstrate how data visualization can be used to inform policy and decision making
  • But first…

The Principles

Know thy data, and know thy audience better.

  • What is their question?
  • What is their timeframe?
  • What are their constraints?
  • What is their capacity?

On Audience

Your audience can understand much more than you may think. It is all in how you lead them there.

The Barriers

  • Time
  • Data
  • Tools
  • Tech

Yabbut - too much data

Data is Everywhere

Yabbut - too many priorities

Too many competing priorities
Too many competing priorities

Unclear direction

Data is Everywhere

The Way Out

  1. Identify your goals (strategy)
  2. Explore your data and focus (analysis)
  3. Focus even narrower (leadership)
  4. Find the context (context)
  5. Put it together (presentation)

Use the data to make a visualization that presents an argument supported by evidence.

Strategy: What can this data say?

Wisconsin FRL Map
Wisconsin FRL Map

Of Metrics and Dashboards

Widgets provide limited connection to strategy.

Infographic, or confusion?

Analyze your data to find the meaning

What is the goal of this graphic?

Word cloud, or clouded message?
Word cloud, or clouded message?

What did we learn?

  • The words obviously and education were used a lot
  • Some other words were frequent too
  • What value have we provided?

Exploratory vs. Explanatory

Exploratory graphics are what we use to understand the data. They are useful for us to understand what is going on and the key features of a dataset

Explanatory graphics are polished and annotated graphics that convey a fact or argument

Exploratory

Exploring Group Differences

Explanatory

Cumulative Assessment Density

What have we learned?

  • Strong link between ACT and WKCE scores
  • Not only does the mode shift with WKCE percentile, but the variation shifts as well
  • Low WKCE scores mean a low chance at meeting the ACT benchmark

An aside on complexity

  • Yes, these graphics are mor complex
  • Explaining one complex graphic to the audience with a strong meaning is powerful
  • Many superficial graphics have a harder time conveying a strong message

Leadership means making the point clear

growth charts
growth charts

What did we learn?

  • Student mobility across proficiency categories is hard
  • Student growth is parallel across percentiles
  • Students regress as well as grow
  • Assessment measures can be noisy

Context

Showing Models

Context as Key

  • Education graphics are littered with plots without context
  • Context is what creates urgency, helps focus decision making, and allows tradeoffs to be balanced
  • Moves the conversation forward
  • Focuses us on the issue at hand
  • Reduces complexity without throwing away data

Don’t Underestimate Your Audience

  • 1 polished detailed graph is better than 10 throwaway graphs
  • Provide context and remember your limits
  • Link your graphic to things leadership cares about

Some Solutions

Technology Choices in Viz

Simulation

Density

Counterfactual Modeling

Density

Wrap-up

Thank You and Contact Info